Over balancing bail for ladles



Jan. 25, 1966 c. w. voKAc OVER BALANCING BAIL FOR LADLES Filed Jan. '7, 1963 m m m Charles W Vokac BY W @4744;

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,230,588 OVER BALANCING BAIL FOR LADLES Charles W. Vokac, Flossmoor, Ill., assignor to Whiting Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 249,890 3 Claims. (Cl. 22-82) This invention relates to improvements in material handling equipment used in the production or utilization of iron, steel and other materials.

In the production of metals, huge crane ladles are used for the movement of thermally hot molten metal, slag, etc. about the mill or foundry, which ladles have a capacity of many, many tons. The weight of these ladles is such that it requires large crane capacity to move them from place to place.

Ladles are ordinarily provided with trunnions on diametrically opposite sides thereof on which are pivotally mounted the free ends of a bail usually having a U-shaped clevis midway of its cross member or head: beam for application thereto of a crane hook in moving the ladle from place to place.

It is common practice in the average mill or foundry for the crane operator to maneuver the crane hook to engage or disengage the bail without the assistance of an attendant. There are times when a ladle is lowered and the crane operator eases the crane hook from engagement with the bail that the bail will momentarily remain in upright position and then, due to vibration of machinery or the like in the mill or foundry, get off center and fall with great force to its lowermost position, pivoting on the trunnions. Should a workman be accidentally in the path of the falling bail, serious injury or even death may result. Indeed, very recently two men were killed and another seriously and permanently injured in just such accidents.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to equip a ladle bail with an overbalancing weight so that when the ladle is lowered, the weight will cause the bail to always remain engaged with the crane hook until it reaches its lowermost position, and thus make it impossible for the crane hook to be released by the crane operator while the bail is in other than its lowermost at-rest position.

It isanother object of the invention to form this overbalancing weight so that it will also act as a stool when the bail is in its lowermost at-rest position, and maintain the bail sufficiently elevated for the crane operator to maneuver the crane hook into or out of engagement with the bail.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those versed in the art from the following description of the invention.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing forming part of this application and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a ladle having the invention applied to the bail thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation on a reduced scale showing the bail in its lowermost in-rest position.

In the drawings a crane ladle such as is commonly used in steel mills, foundries, and the like is shown at 10. These ladles are very large and at diametrically opposite sides of such ladles, trunnions 12 are provided, which project outwardly from the ladles a sufficient distance for the attachment thereto of the free ends of a bail 14. The trunnions are located well below the upper rim of the ladle slightly above the average center of gravity so that the ladle may be tilted for pouring with minimum physical effort whether full, partly full, or nearly empty but yet hang plumb when filled to recommended capacity.

The free ends of the bail are provided with bearings 11 surrounding the trunnions 12. In the present embodiment of the invention I have illustrated a square type bail, although it is obvious that the bail may be of V-type, semi-circular, or at least arcuate. The bail is formed in this instance of two pieces of strap material 13 and 15, each pivotally mounted at one endby means of the bearings 11 to the trunnions 12, and at the other ends secured between the ends of back to back channels 16 and 18 forming a head beam extending transversely over the ladle. Midway between the ends of these channel members 16 and 18 is secured a clevis 20, the free ends of which are flattened and also extend between channels 16 and 18, they being secured thereto by means of rivets or the like indicated at 22. The clevis 20 forms a hanger for suspending the ladle from a crane hook indicated at 21. The bail extends well over the top of the ladle so that when it swings on the trunnions from upright to lower at-rest position, on the surface which supports the ladle it will clear the side edge of the ladle, as indicated in the drawings. The bail is relatively heavy, and it extends well over the top of the ladle to keep the head beam as far away from the heat of the molten metal as practicable, and so that when in its lowermost at-rest position it will rest upon the surface supporting the ladle. Otherwise the weight of the bail would tend to tip the ladle over and be a very great safety hazard.

Should the crane hook be disengaged from the bail while in its uppermost position, on dead center, it would remain in that position momentarily or until it eased off dead center and then would fall with great force to its lowermost position, possibly injuring anyone who might accidentally be in its path of descent.

At the geometric center of the channel 16, which, as seen in the drawings, is directly between the ends of the clevis, an overbalancing weight, indicated generally at 24, is secured. This weight comprises a suitable length of material 25, of cylindrical or other shape, one end of which abuts endwise against the web of the channel 16 and is welded or otherwise secured thereto. The other end' of the cylindrical portion 25 is ungulated, as at 26. To this ungulated end is secured, in any acceptable manner, a disc-like member 28, which is about twice the diameter of the portion 25. This structure provides a substantial overbalancing weight which biases the bail off dead center when in upright position. By this means the center of gravity of the bail will always be external to a plane passing through the bearings and clevis. When the bail is in its lowermost position, the disc 28 forms a base for the weight which then acts as a stool, as clearly seen in the drawings. The ungulatedend is cut at the proper angle so that the disc rests fiatwise on the supporting surface when the bail is in its lowermost position. The length of the portion 25 is determined by the size of the crane hook, so that, when acting as a stool, it will hold the clevis at a sufficient elevation above the supporting surface for the crane hook to be maneuvered into engagement with the bail.

While I have illustrated a single overbalancing weight and stool 24, it is obvious that a pair of such may be provided, one at either end of the channel 16. This of course would provide a greater overbalancing weight, if necessary, to make certain the proper functioning of the device.

With the teaching of this invention it will be apparent to those versed in the art that the weight 14 performs a double function, that of providing an overbalancing weight on the bail so that it will never be on dead center even momentarily when in an upright position, and that of a support to hold the bail sufficiently elevated above the supporting surface so that a crane operator can maneuver the crane hook into or out of engagement with the clevis without the services of a crane attendant.

Also it is seen that with this overbalancing weight of the stool on the bail, it will be impossible for the crane operator to free the crane hook from the clevis in other than the at-rest position of the bail, and therefore it will never be possible for the bail to freely fall and possibly injure anyone who may accidentally be in its path of descent.

Furthermore, it will be apparent from the foregoing description and explanation that this invention provides a marked improvement in the safe handling of ladies or containers about a foundry or mill, and that while the illustration and description are of a square type bail and round ladle, it is obvious that the invention is applicable to bails of other shapes and for use with ladles or containers of other forms. It is intended to cover in the appended claims all such variations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a lifting bail for a ladle for transporting bulk material, said bail being pivoted at diametrically opposite sides of said ladle and being dimensioned so that it can move from uppermost lifting position to a lowermost at-rest position and clear the edge of the container, of a rigid arm fixed to said bail, extending laterally therefrom, and being of sufficient mass to provide a biasing weight so that the bail when engaged in a crane hook will always remain therein until the bail has been lowered to its lowermost at-rest position on the surface supporting the container, said arm being of such length that it constitutes a stool or standard maintaining said ball sufficiently elevated for a crane hook to be maneuvered into or out of engagement therewith.

4 2. The combination set forth in claim 1, said arm having an ungulated end which rests flatwise against the supporting surface when thebail is in its lowermost atrest position. i

3. In a container for transporting bulk material, a lifting bail therefor comprising spaced paralleled arms, each pivotally mounted at one end to diametrically opposite sides of said container well below the rim of said container and slightly above the average center of gravity thereof, and a head beam fixed to the other ends of said arms and extending transversely over said container well above the rim of said container so that said bail may move from its uppermost lifting position to its lowermost position and clear the edge of said container, and a rigid arm rigidly fastened to said head beam extending laterally from said head beam and being of sufficient mass to provide a biasing weight so that the bail when engaged in a crane hook will always remain therein until the bail has been lowered to its lowermost at-rest position on the surface supporting the container and said arm being of such length that it constitutes a stool or standard maintaining said bail sufficiently elevated for convenience in applying a crane hook thereto when said bail is in its lowered at-rest position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1910 Stuebner 294-71 3/1911 Roberts 29472 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A LIFTING BAIL FOR A LADLE FOR TRANSPORTING BULK MATERIAL, SAID BAIL BEING PIVOTED AT DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID LADLE AND BEING DIMENSIONED SO THAT IT CAN MOVE FROM UPPERMOST LIFTING POSITION TO A LOWERMOST AT-REST POSITION AND CLEAR THE EDGE OF THE CONTAINER, OF A RIGID ARM FIXED TO SAID BAIL, EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREFROM, AND BEING OF SUFFICIENT MASS TO PROVIDE A BIASING WEIGHT SO THAT THE BAIL WHEN ENGAGED IN A CRANE HOOK WILL ALWAYS REMAIN THEREIN UNTIL THE BAIL HAS BEEN LOWERED TO ITS LOWERMOST AT-REST POSITION ON THE SURFACE SUPPORTING THE CONTAINER, SAID ARM BEING OF SUCH LENGTH THAT IS CONSTITUTES A STOOL OR STANDARD MAINTAINING SAID BAIL SUFFICIENTLY ELEVATED FOR A CRANE HOOK TO BE MANEUVERED INTO OR OUT OF ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH. 